Combined fender brace and bumper



April 29 1924.

1,492,045 T. T. PLUMMER COMBINED FENDER BRACE AND BUMPER Filed July 6,1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l WITNESSES 9, ,A l .9 1 INVENTOR 7; fl) l 'z 7 YITPM/lancer J 3 BY e7.. .QSI/[,Lfj/` i 1 ya# a l I.

g ATTORNEY Apri] 29, 1924. 1,492,045

T. T. PLUMMER COMBINED FENDER BRACE AND BUMPER Filed July e, i923 2sheets-sheet 2 l 2,4 21g 7710m9.

P INVENTOR 7? .7.' Plana/leef'.

A TTORNE Y Patented Apr. 29, 1924.

. UNITED STATES PA 'rrortica.

THOMAS T. PLUMMER, OF WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS,ASSIGNOR T0 DIXIE M'ANUFACV-f 4'.T.U]:'tI1\T(:`r COMPANY, 0F WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS, A CORPORATION 0FARIZONA.

COMBINED FENDER BRACE AND BUMPER.

Application led July 6,

To 'all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS T. PLUMMER, a citizen of the United States,residing at lVichita Falls, in the county of VVichitaand State of Texas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined FenderBraces and Bumpers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to protective means for motor vehicles,such as automobiles and trucks, and has for its object to brace thefenders and bumpers and support y the latter in a. mannerto preventrattle and undue vibration and yet admit of the same yielding by directimpact to neutralize shock and function under certain conditions as awheel brake.

A further object of the invention is to support the wheel fenders andprevent vibration, loose joints and displacement thereof, therebyobviating chatter, play and a sagging of the parts.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent and suggest themselves lasthe nature of the invention isunderstood.

While the drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention it is to beunderstood that in adapting the same to meet different conditions andrequirements, various changes in the form, proportion and minor detailsof construction may be resorted to without departing from the nature ofthe invention.

eferr-ing to the accompanying drawings forming a part of theapplication:

Figure 1` is a front view of an automobile showing the application ofthe invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view,

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view,

lFigure 4; is a sectional detail view on the line 4 4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 2,

Figure 6 is a rear view of the vehicle showing the rear bumper andfenders bracedV and supported in accordance with the invention,

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a detail view showing more clearly the bracing connection,and

Figure 9 is a detail sectional view on the line 9 9 of Figure 7.

The invention is designed alike for pleasure cars and motor trucks andis of such conends to the main bar 1 and its end portions are spacedgradually from themain bar l and have their terminal portions overlap'-Vping the extremities of the bent ends 2, the overlapping end portionsbeing pierced to receive the threaded ends of longitudinally disposedrods 4, and which threaded ends are'provided with a pair yof nuts 5between which the overlapping ends of the elements 2 and 3 are clamped,as indicated most clearly in Figure 4. The longitudinal rods l areoffset intermediate their ends, as indicated at 6, and their inner orrear ends are secured to the longitudinal bars 7' of the chassis in anypreferred way, as by means of clips 8 shown most clearly in Figure 5.Glands or yokes 9 engage the upper and the lower edges of the parts 1, 2and 3 and are clamped thereto by means of a bolt 10. The outer ends ofthe fender extend beyond the front wheels and are rearwardly curved andare spaced a short distance therefrom. As a result of this arrangement,impact of the ends of the fender with an object will deflect and bringthe ends of the fender in contact with the wheels and thereby operate asa brake to assist materially in bringing the vehicle to a quick stop.

Transversely disposed rods 11 have their inner ends disposedhorizontally and their outer ends upwardly and outwardly inclined andattached to the front wheel fenders 12. The intermediate portion of therods 11 is deflected outwardly, as indicated most clearly in Figure 2,and is made fast to the longitudinal rod t in advance of the offsetportion 6. A clip or shackle 13 connects the parts i and 11 at the pointof crossing. The outer ends of the transverse rods 11 conform to thefenders and are bolted or otherwise secured to the underside thereof soas not to detract from the appearance. The inner ends of the transverserods l1 are bolted or otherwise secured to the front cross mem'- ber ofthe chassis at 14. The arrangement is l.such that'the rods or 'members 4and 11 end portionsl. Longitudinal rods l17 havev mutually brace eachother and byl having portions'defleeted, they operate by a truss braceaction. Y

Tlierearr fender is constructed in substantiallya like manner `tothefront fender and comprises a main l,bar 15 and inwardly bentl theirouter ends threaded and passed through openings in the bent ends 16 andprovided'with a pairrof nuts 18 between which the parts 16 Vare clamped.The longitudinal rods 17a`1e offset intermediate their Y Y ends, asindicated lat 19, and their inner Vor rear endsare secured kto thelongitudinal bars '77 of the chassis byl clips` 8 or in any otherVVpreferred way. Transverse rods v 2O haveetheir inner ends-secured to therear crosspiece of the chassis and their outery ends attached .to Vtherear wheel fenders Y21.7k The transverse rods 2O are deflectedrearwardly Yand dowiiwardly intermediate their .ends

and are Vsecured Vto the longitudinal rods "17 Yin the rear. vof theoffset portions 19, said vconnection being efl'e'cted'atjthe'point vofcrossing of the rods; by means of` clips V13 or othenpreferred fasteningmeans. Other rods 22 have their outer forward ends overf lappingthe'rear vends of the fenders 21 and bolted orotherwise secured theretoand their v innery rear ends are connected tothe bent Vends v16 of thelrear fender by means of the longitudinal rods 17 and the clamp nuts 1,8.

An eX-pansi'ble helical spring 23 is 'interposed between, each bentend16 andthe main portion of the bumper l15 and assists; materially insustaining any shock incident to impact ofV an objectvwith the bumper.Bolts 24E Vpass through registering lopenings 1in the part's`15. 16 and22.'

formed `lWhat'is claimed is z' In fa vehicle provided withropposedwheellfenders and aY bumper, transverse rods ydeiected intermediatetheir ends, towards secured at .their innerends to the vehicle and atAtheir outer ends tothe fendersv and the bumperto form truss braces, andlongi-YY tudinally disposed 'f rodsA connecting the bumper tothevehicleV ando'fi'setr adjacent the vehicle and Vattached to thetransverse f rods, whereby to coact therewithto mutually brace oneanother and support the bumper and fenders.

V2. In a vehicleY provided with `'opposed l wheel 'fenders and a bumper,longitudinal rods connecting the bumper to the vehicle, land offsetadjacent the latter, and" transf verse rodssecured intermediate theirends `to the longitudinal rods adjacent and outwardly fromtheolfsetportions thereof and Vhaving their inner ends deflected away fromY the bumper and towards-the vehicley and 'at` tached to lthe latter,land having their outer ends deflected upwardly and'away fromthe bumperand attached tothe fenders,the two Vhicle at point beyond thefe-ndersand having itsV end portion'srecurved, a yieldable connection 'betweenthe recurved ends Vand the'main portion of the'bumper, rodsV atf tachedat their inner ends to the'vehiclefand at their outer ends to therecurve'd ends'fof the bumper, and other rods attached Vto the fendersvand to the outer ends ofthe before Vmentioned rods rand therecurvedends ofthe bumper.

4:. In combination, opposite wheel fenders, aY bumper disposedtransversely of .the'vevhicleY beyondy thefenders, longitudinal barsbetween the vehicle and ends of the bumper, transverse rods between thevehicle and fenders and crossing the longitudinal bars,

kmeans connecting the rods" at the Vpointo'f crossing.- andfjother rodsbetween the fenders and bumperv and frhaving' connection with the outerends ofthe longitudinal rods.

9o VIn testimony whereof I Yaflii'c my signature.

V 'riroMAsjrrLUMi/inn.-

